Sliding hinge



F. D. BELZ SLIDING HINGE Jan. 17, 1956 Filed Aug. l, 1952 me/vwo@ PAUL 0; BE'LZ United States Patent SLIDING HINGE Paul D. Belz, Glen Burnie, Md., assignor, by mesne as signments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application August 1, 1952, Serial No. 302,221

7 Claims. (Cl. 312-323) The present invention relates to a slidable mounting means and more particularly to a combination slidable and rotatable hinged support so arranged that a chassis secured to the support may be slidably withdrawn from a case, rotated about a point to a predetermined position and held in this position.

Often equipment requiring frequent service and repair, such as electrical and electronic equipment, for example, has been rendered relatively inaccessible when the chassis on which it is mounted has been enclosed in a protective case. Consequently, considerable time is expended in removing the chassis from the case whenever work on the equipment is undertaken.

The present invention facilitates access to equipment mounted on a chassis which is enclosed in a case, by providing aslidable supporting member for the chassis, detachably secured in the case and arranged to move slidably along7 supports attached to the inside of the case. With this arrangement the chassis may readily be withdrawn from within the case and rotated into an extended position in which the equipment on the chassis is accessible while the chassis remains connected to and supported by the case.

An object of this invention is the provision of a means for sliding a chassis out of its case and rotating it into a predetermined extended position.

Another object is to provide a chassis supporting means which prevents rotation of the chassis except in a single position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for limiting the angular movement of the chassis at a predetermined point when it is rotated.

Still another object is to provide means for supporting a chassis in a case arranged so that the chassis is readily detachable from the case while the chassis is in its extended position.

The exact nature of this invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will be readily apparent from consideration of the following specification relating to the annexed drawing in which'.

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 shows a vertical section of the device taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. l a supporting member 11 extending between a pair of parallel channels 14 mounted on opposite inner walls of a case or frame represented in phantom in Fig. l by 15. The member 11 is tted with a pair of projections 16 extending from the lower side near the opposite ends thereof and arranged,

to support a pair of stops 18 so disposed that they move into engagement with the respective channels 14 when the member 11 is rotated about its longitudinal axis in the manner of a hinge pin. Each channel 14 is U-shaped as shown in Fig. 1 and includes an upper ange Z1 and a lower flange 22 spaced to slidably receive one end of member 11 when the ats 24 at each end of member 11 are disposed adjacent to flanges 21 in the manner shown in the phantom view in Fig. 3.

Due to the ats 24, member 11 cannot be rotated relative to channels 14 except in one position at one end of the channels where the lower ilanges 22 are depressed as indicated at 26 in Figs. l and 2. When member 11 is located in the depressions 26 it is rotatable about its own longitudinal axis. Accordingly,l a chassis, represented in phantom in Fig. 2 by 31, which is txedly mounted on member 11 by suitable means (not shown), is rotatable about the axis of member 11 functioning as a hinge pivot. However, this rotational movement is limited to a predetermined amount by the stops 18 which engage the lower flanges 22 of the respective channels 14 in the manner shown in Fig. 3.

In order to provide for quick detachment of a chassis mounted on member 11 from a case in which the channels 14 are mounted, the upper flange 21 of each channel is cut away opposite the depression 26 in the lower ange 22, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 2. With this arrangement the chassis is readily detached from the case by with drawing the chassis until the member 11 reaches the depressions 26, raising (if necessary) the front of the chassis so as to rotate stops 18 in a clockwise direction, `as seen in Fig. 2, and then again moving the chassis forward, with the ends of member 11 sliding on the outer ends of iianges 22. i i

ln use the structure comprising the instant invention normally supports the inner end of a chassis in its normal position within a case. Whenever it becomes necessary to gain access to equipment mounted on the chassis, the chassis is withdrawn from the case, causing the supporting member 11 to which the chassis is attached to be moved slidably along the channels 14 to the depressions 26. Due to the coaction of the upper flanges 21 of the respective channels 14 and the flats 24 on the ends of member 1l, the motion of the chassis is necessarily translational until the member 11 drops into the depressions 26, when the chassis becomes free to rotate downwardly about the axis of member 11 which functions at this time as a hinge pivot. The chassis is brought to rest after the desired angular displacement by the engagement of stops 18 with the lower anges 22 of the channels.

In order to replace the chassis in its case, the procedure described above is reversed. First, the chassis is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2. Then, the chassis and the member 11 are moved slidably :along the channels until the chassis is again seated in its normal position Within the case.

Thus, the instant invention provides a mounting means for a chassis which supports the chassis Within its case and provides for withdrawal of the chassis to a predetermined extended position from which the chassis and support therefor may be moved to the ends of the channels at will to provide for quick detachment of the chassis from the case.

It should be understood, of course that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that numerous modiiications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A mounting means comprising a spaced pair of opposed parallel channels fixedly mounted in a frame, an elongated supporting member extending between said channels and slidable therein, means on each end of said supporting member coacting with said channels to prevent rotation ofthe supporting member about its longitudinal axis as it is moved slidably along the channels, corre sponding lateral depressions adjacent" one' end of both channels arranged to receive the ends of said member so that the member may be rotated about its longitudinal axis 4when its ends are seated'in said depressions, and stop means aired to 'said supporting member and positioned exterually'to'said channels for engaging said channels to limit rotation of said supporting memberwhen theends thereof Vare seated in said depressions.

2. A device as described in claim l, in which the ends of said supporting memberY are circular and the means on each end for preventing rotation is a flattenedportion thereof disposed in contact with oneside of one of said channels.

t 3. A device as described in claim l wherein said stop means comprises a pair of projections extending from one side of ysaid supporting member, and a pair of stops mounted on said Vprojections and arranged to engage the respective channels tolirnit rotation of said member about its longitudinal axis.

4. A device as described in c laim l, further characterised in that each said channel is cut away opposite said depression to permit said supporting member to be elevated outof said depressions onto the part of the channels between said depressions and the adjacent ends thereof, to thereby facilitate disengagement of said supporting member from said channels.

5. For use in supporting a chassis within a hollow case, a mounting means comprising a spaced pair of opposed parallel channels lixedly securedrto opposite inner walls of a case, an elongated supporting member, to which a chassis is iixedly attached, extending between said channels and slidable therein, means on each end of said supporting member coacting with said channels to 4 prevent rotation of the supporting member, and a chassis attached thereto, about the longitudinal axis of said member as'itis moved 'slidab'lyalong'thechan'elsfcorresponding lateral depressions in the outer end of both channels arranged to receive the ends of said member so that the member may be rotated about its longitudinal axis, when its ends are -seatedrinwsaid depressions, to angularly displace a chassis relative to a case in which it is slidably secured by `saidl mountingV means, and stop means affixed to said supporting memberand positioned externally to said channels for' engaging said `channels to limit rotation of` said supporting' ember when the'yends thereof are seated in' saidV depressions.

6. A device as`described in claim 5 wherein said stop means comprises a pair ,of projections extending from each side of said ysupporting member, and a pair of stops mounted on said projections and arranged to engage the respective channels to limit rotation of said member andV a chassis "attached, thereto, ahogut, its longitudinal axis.A

7. A device as` described in claim 5, further characterised in that each channel isv c ut away opposite said depression to permitsaid supporting ,member to be elevated out of said depressions onto the part of the channels between sad depressonsand the adjacent endsvthereof,l to thereby facilitate disengagement of said supporting member, and a chassis attached thereto,pfrom saidchannels, and ac ase in which theyaresecured.

Referencesited inthe I ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

